


Drama's Afoot In Philly

by miss_grey



Series: What We Do In The Dark [21]
Category: Band of Brothers
Genre: Bigotry & Prejudice, Flirting, M/M, Supernatural AU - Freeform, Werewolves, jealous gene, witch gene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-19
Updated: 2019-06-19
Packaged: 2020-05-15 00:38:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19284517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miss_grey/pseuds/miss_grey
Summary: While Babe is off visiting Gene in Louisiana, some drama is going down with the Philly Pack.





	Drama's Afoot In Philly

**Author's Note:**

> Alright guys, you FINALLY get to see the Philly Pack! :D I hope you enjoy!

 

 

 

 

“Hey, Joe.  Did ya see?  Someone finally bought the old storefront across the street.”  Bill leaned against the counter as he wiped it down, again, and nodded toward the door.

Joe Toye stood from where he’d been organizing things below the bar.  He swiped an arm across his forehead—despite it being October, a lingering heat still stuck around their part of town.  “Didn’t notice.  Did you see who bought it?”

“Nah.  Just saw that they took the _For Sale_ sign down.”

Julian, who’d been sweeping on the other side of the room, came over to peer out the door, his young eyes sparkling with excitement.  “I wonder what it’ll be?”

Toye shrugged.  “So long as it isn’t another bar, I don’t particularly care.”

“That’s because you’re not imaginative!” Julian quipped.

Toye quirked a brow.  “Maybe not.  But I am the one who pays you, so get back to work, kid.”

Julian grumbled, but went back to sweeping.  “When’s Babe getting back?”

“Yeah,” Toye asked, casting a glance at Bill.  “When _is_ he getting back?”

“Few days, I think.”

“You think?”  Toye snorted.  “What the hell am I supposed to do without my best bartender?”  He pointed at Julian.  “Don’t tell him I said that, either.”  Julian mimed zipping his lips.  “But seriously, Bill?  What am I supposed to do?”

“You can always call Luz.  You know he’s offered.”

Toye shifted on his feet, then continued his organizing.  “Nah, I’ll figure something else out.”

“Come on, Joe.  He’s the best there is.  You know that.”

“He’s alright.”

Bill snorted.  “You just don’t wanna admit he makes you blush.”

Toye growled.  “I don’t blush!”

“You do blush!”  Bill threw the rag down and made his way around the bar to look at his friend, who made an effort to hide now.  “Luz makes everyone blush, Joe.  It ain’t just you.  Guy can’t help it.”

Toye simply shrugged.  “I don’t need to call him in.  I’ll just…deal with Muck and Penkala until Babe gets back.”

Bill snorted.  “You like having to buy new glasses every other week?”

“Shut it, Bill.  And get your boy back here.”

Bill rolled his eyes.  “You know he’s on business for the Pack, Joe.”

“Whatever.”

 

* * *

 

 

 

“Have you guys seen the new guy?”  Malarkey asked, when he showed up for his shift later that night.

“What new guy?”  Bill asked, sniffing the air and casting his gaze around the bar.

“Not here,” Malarkey said, motioning toward the door.  “The new neighbor.  Across the street.”

“Oh, yeah,” Skip said, bustling over with a tray of empty glasses held aloft.  “Looks like a real creep, doesn’t he?  Keeps looking over here and writing stuff down.”

“Writin’ stuff down?”  Bill asked, frowning.

“Yeah.  Guy looks like a real stick in the mud.  What’s he opening, anyway?  An antique store?”

“No, I think it’s one of those café-bookstore mixes, ya know.”  Malarkey said.

“What, like a Barnes and Noble?”  Penkala asked, striding through the kitchen door and flinging a rag at Malarkey.  “You’re up.”

“Hey!”  Toye called from behind the bar, where he was doing his best to keep up with the patrons, “What would you know about a Barnes and Noble, Penk?  Get back to work!”

Penkala rolled his eyes.  “It’s Malarkey’s shift, Joe.  I’m headed home.”

“Then get outta here, and quit gossiping like a schoolgirl.”

“Jeez, what’s got him so grumpy?”  Penkala whispered, ducking close to Skip and Malarkey.

Skip smirked.  “He’s been pretty rushed behind the bar all night on account of Babe still bein’ gone.”

“So why doesn’t he just call Luz in?”

Skip smirked.  “Because it’s Luz.  Come on, you know how Joe gets.”

“Right.”  Penkala frowned, obviously not knowing how Joe could get.

Bill sidled back up to the group again and smacked Penkala upside the head.  “Come on, boys, get back to work or get outta here.  Stop gossiping about Joe, while you’re at it.”  He pointed to Malarkey.  “You keep an eye on the new guy, though.  Let me know if he does anythin’ funny.  This neighborhood’s got a reputation to maintain, after all.”

Malarkey nodded.  “Sure thing, Bill.”  Then he headed back into the kitchen and pulled an apron on.  The grill was already fired up, and he was ready for a distraction.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Two days later, the _Open_ sign flickered on in the window across the street and _Sobel’s Books and Coffee_ was officially open for business.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Malarkey eyed the shop from across the street.  Something about it got his hackles up, but he couldn’t put his finger on what it was.  By all accounts, it looked like a regular shop.  Books lined the window on one side of the door, and the other window looked in on a few small tables and chairs.  _Maybe we’re just being paranoid,_ Don thought to himself.  _Not used to new people in the neighborhood.  Maybe it’ll be good for us to get a little variety._ So, figuring someone had to offer an olive branch, Malarkey made his way across the street and into the little bookstore.

It was about what he’d expected: Rows of bookcases laid out on either side of a central isle on one side of the shop, while a coffee bar with tables and chairs took up the other side.  A young man, wearing a nametag: _Evans_ manned the espresso machines.  Don tipped his head in greeting and made his way through the shelves, glancing at titles as he went.  A lot of the guys he knew didn’t read much, but he liked to, when he had the time.  Sci-fi, mostly, with the odd mystery novel and book of poetry here and there.  He’d never admit it to the others, but he quite liked the calm of a bookstore.  It was a nice change of pace after the constant din and rush of Toye’s bar, where most of the Pack worked, at least part time.

The bookstore was relatively quiet—Malarkey could hear the murmur of voices near the back—discussing some title or other, and he caught a hint of a woman ordering a latte at the front.  The store smelled strongly of dust and…something else that made his nose tingle.  A title caught his eye, and he reached for it, though paused, sneezing, before his fingers could grasp it.  He’d just laid hold of the book when a tall, dark-haired man dressed in slacks and a button-down appeared at the end of the aisle, glowering.  Malarkey stiffened and withdrew his hand, suddenly feeling a wave of tension roll through him.  “Hi,” he said. “Nice place.”

The man fixed his dark eyes on Malarkey and his lip curled.  “You should leave,” the man said.

Malarkey’s brows furrowed, confused.  “Excuse me?”

“We don’t want your kind here.” 

Malarkey’s heart thumped, and he felt a cold sweat break out on his brow.  He’d read about this, had heard about it in history class.  But… he’d never thought to experience such things in this day and age.  Could this guy sense he was Irish?  Catholic?  What decade was this, after all?  “My kind?”  Don asked.

The man glared down at him, completely unmoving, unblinking.  He appeared like a sinister statue that could see into the heart of Malarkey.  “Dogs,” he intoned.

Suddenly, Malarkey’s heart gave a wild thump and he backed away from the man, hands shaking.  _How does he know?  How does he KNOW?_ He bumped into a shelf in his hurry to escape, then turned and hurried for the door, not breathing again until he’d burst free and crossed the street again to the relative safety of Toye’s.  He leaned against the brick, heart racing, trying to catch his breath.  He wiped a shaking hand over his brow and the other reached for the door. 

The bar was currently closed, but there was always at least a couple guys hanging out in the off-hours.  The door swung open and Malarkey stumbled in, shutting it soundly behind him.  He glanced around frantically until his eyes fixed on Bill and Joe, leaning against the bar, staring at him in concern.  “Hey, Malark.  You alright?”  Bill asked.

Don shook his head and approached them, still trembling.  “Guys, we’ve got a problem.”

 

 

 

 

“I told you,” Don said, hands still shaking, “I don’t know what he is!”

“Alright, alright.  Slow down, Malark.  Here, have a drink,” Bill said, pushing the glass closer to Malarkey’s hand.  “Just take it easy.  Tell us one more time what happened.”

Malarkey sighed and took a deep drink of the beer—never mind that it was before noon.  “I told you,” he muttered.  But he went through the whole thing again, what little there was.  “You guys should’ve seen the way he looked at me,” Malarkey said.  “It was…dark.  Hostile.  Like I was…less.”

“You think he’s a hunter?”  Bill asked, casting a concerned glance at Joe, who hovered protectively on Malarkey’s other side.

“Maybe,” Joe said.  “We haven’t had any come around since we started using The Doc’s medicine and controlling the shifts, but… it’s possible.”

Bill shook his head.  “We’ll have to keep an eye out.”

“I’ll make sure none of the boys works a shift alone.”

“Good.”  Bill shook his head.  “Goddamn hunters.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

Babe shrugged out of his dirty clothes, nose wrinkling.  It may be October, but it could still get stuffy and hot being stuck in a car for days at a time, and right now, he needed a shower more than anything.  So, peeling his socks off, he hopped into the bathroom and turned on the shower, sighing when he finally stepped under the hot spray.  As much as he enjoyed visiting Gene, the water pressure sucked in the swamp.  And Babe was always sweaty, always scratching at mosquito bites while he was there, while Gene shook his head and told him to _stop scratchin’, Edward.  You’ll only make it worse.  Here, put this on it._ Then Gene had slathered Babe in some gray goopy stuff that had actually taken the itch away but had left him smelling like some mix of pungent herbs and dirt. 

It was nice to have a strong, hot shower again, even if Babe was already missing the rest.  _Gene, pressed up against the kitchen counter, his hands on Babe’s hips, his sweet, soft lips moving under Babe’s, while fish stew bubbled happily on the stove._ Babe groaned and turned the water to cold, frustrated.  He couldn’t afford to get distracted.  He had to get this medicine to Bill and then get into work.  Bill had texted, saying Babe was needed at the bar that night.  “Not even a night off,” Babe muttered to himself as he washed off quickly.

 

 

* * *

 

 

The bar was packed by the time he arrived, freshly showered, dressed for business, with a package of assorted herbs and powders tucked safely under his arm.  “Hey guys!”  He called as he pushed through the crowd toward the bar where Luz, of all people, was tending.  “Where’s Bill?”

Luz jerked his head toward the back.  “In the office, with Joe.  They said to send you back when you got in.”

Babe frowned.  “Alright.” 

He found them standing around the desk, looking stressed, with Malarkey and Julian as well.  Babe frowned.  This was a weird mix.  “I’m tellin’ you, he didn’t say anything!”  Julian insisted.  “I just bought a coffee and sat down.  Nothing happened.”

Toye growled, swiping his hands through his short hair.  “So how does he know the difference, then?  Has he been spying on us?  I never knew a hunter who could tell just by looking at you.  Thankfully.”

Babe frowned, ears perking at the word _hunter._ “Hey guys,” he murmured, pushing into the office.  “What’s goin’ on?”

“Ah, Babe!”  Bill said, pulling Babe into a hug.  “Good thing you’re back.  You have the package?”

“Yeah, Bill.  It’s right here,” Babe said, pulling it out from under his arm.  “So what’s goin’ on?”

Toye shot him a dark look, and Babe was surprised to find Bill’s matched.  “We’ve got some drama afoot, Babe.  A lot’s happened while you were gone.”

Babe frowned, feeling wrong-footed being out of the loop.  “Like what?  And why’s Luz on bar?”

Toye snorted.  “We needed the help with you gone.”  Bill elbowed him in the ribs and Joe shot him a dark look.  “What?  It’s true.”

“Never mind that,” Bill insisted.  “We’ve got bigger problems.”

“Well, tell me, already.”  Babe urged.

“While you were gone, some guy opened a new bookstore across the street.”

Babe frowned.  “Weird choice, but alright.”

“No,” Bill growled.  “Just shut up and listen, alright?”

“Okay.”

“He was givin’ us all weird looks and stuff, but we thought, ya know, it’s because we run a bar.  So a few days ago, Malark here decides he’s gonna go try to make peace, ya know, and went into the bookstore.  Only, the owner—some guy named Sobel—confronts Malark and says… well, you tell ‘im, Malark.”

Malarkey cleared his throat.  “He said ‘We don’t want your kind, here.’  And so I say ‘My kind?’ and he says ‘Dogs.’”

Babe’s mouth went dry.  “He… he knows?”  He felt a shudder run through his body.  “How in the world would he know that you guys are werewolves?”

“We think he’s a hunter,” Bill said.  “It’s the only explanation.  We think he’s here runnin’ recon or something.  He hasn’t made a move, but it’s got the boys pretty riled up.”

“Well, yeah!”  Babe shouted.  “I mean… a hunter!  Don’t they like… _kill_ werewolves?!”

“Yeah,” Toye growled.

“But the guy at the bookstore didn’t say anything when I went in!”  Julian piped up.  “So maybe they could tell that I’m not a werewolf!”

Babe frowned.  “Can hunters do that?”

Bill shrugged.  “Maybe.  We don’t really know.”

“Alright,” Babe said, “so what do you need me to do?”

Bill smiled, just slightly.  “God, I missed ya, kid.”  He muttered.  Then, “We need you to keep an eye out.  If Julian’s right, they shouldn’t mess with you since you’re a human too.  We might need you to go over there later, though.  You haven’t been around, so if they’ve been spyin’ on us, they shouldn’t have anything on you.  It’ll be good to know whether they can tell the difference between humans and wolves.”

Babe shrugged.  “Of course, Bill.  Just tell me when, and I’ll do it.”

Bill ran a hand over Babe’s shoulder.  “Thanks, Babe.  But uh, tonight we just need you on bar.”

“Sure.”

“And next time you talk to him, tell The Doc thanks for us, will ya?”

Babe grinned softly.  “Sure thing, Bill.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Babe didn’t get home until the early hours of the morning, but when he did, he made his way to his room and closed the door, just in case his mom came home from a shift while he was on the phone.  He pulled up his contacts and pressed the one with the little heart emoji next to it.  It only rang once before the line clicked, picking up.

“Hello, Edward.  How are you?”

Babe smiled, butterflies fluttering in his belly at the deep, soothing voice.  “I’m good, Gene.  How are you?”

“I’m fine.  Home now?”

“Yep.  I just got back from work.  Bill and the guys say thanks, by the way.”

“Sure,” Gene mumbled.  “Happy to help.”  Across the line, Babe could hear shuffling, and he could imagine Gene sorting through herbs, or moving papers around.  “Why’d you have to go in tonight?”

Babe shrugged.  “They were extra busy.  Had to bring Luz in while I was gone.  Guess it caused some tension.”

He could practically see Gene’s thin, dark brow arch.  “Oh?”

Babe snickered.  “Yeah, Luz has a habit of flirtin’ with everyone, and it makes Joe uncomfortable.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because Joe definitely has a crush on Luz, but won’t admit it.”  Babe chuckled.

“Mmmm,” Gene murmured.  “So.  He flirts with everyone, huh?”  He paused, and it went quiet for a second.  Then, “That include you?”

Babe rolled his eyes and the butterflies flapped harder.  Was Gene _jealous?_ Babe’s heart thumped in his chest, absolutely giddy with the idea that someone as amazing and sexy and awesome as Gene could be jealous over someone like Babe.  “Sometimes,” Babe admitted, “but it doesn’t mean anything.  He’s not my type.”

Gene chuckled, just lightly, and the sexy sound sent shivers down Babe’s spine.  He stretched out further on his bed.  “So what is your type, then?”

Babe squirmed and his blood pounded.  “I have a pretty particular type.”  Babe murmured.

“Tell me.”

Babe gulped.  “Tall, lean.  Dark hair.”  Babe had to stop for a second and force himself to breath.  “Dark eyes.  Accent.  Definitely needs an accent.”

“Yeah?”  Gene urged, and his voice had grown even huskier.

“Definitely,” Babe confirmed.  “And uh…strong.  But kind.  Caring.  The kinda guy who helps others.”

“You like that?”  Gene asked, but his voice had taken on a softer tone now.

“Oh, it’s a must.”  Babe smiled.  “But uh, you know.  He’s gotta be sexy as hell, too.”

Gene chuckled.  “Wouldn’t wanna leave that part out.”

“Definitely not.”  Babe grinned.  “And ya know…I like a guy who’s good with his hands.”

Gene’s voice was practically a purr when he said “I might know a guy who fits that description.”

Babe smirked.  “Oh yeah?  Why don’t you give ‘im my number?”

Gene growled.  “Edward.”

Babe chuckled softly, giddy that he could rile Gene up like that.  “I miss you already, Gene,” he confessed, “I can’t wait to see you again.”

“Mmm… me too, Edward.”  Gene shuffled with something again.  “You’re always welcome here, ya know.”

“Thanks, Gene.”

“So how was work?”

Babe shrugged, though he knew Gene couldn’t see it.  “Work was fine, but uh… there’s a bit of drama with the Pack right now.”

“What kind of drama?”

“This new guy opened shop across the street from Toye’s bar.  And uh… the guys think he might be a hunter.”

Babe could almost _see_ Gene shift to hyper-alert—he could hear it in his voice, could almost feel it through the phone.  “A hunter?”

“Yeah, maybe.”

“What makes them think that?  What’d he do?”

So Babe relayed the story that Malark had told him. 

He could hear Gene’s frown.  “Doesn’t sound good, Edward.  Y’all need to be real careful.  Don’t take any risks, and keep an eye out for him.”

“Yeah, of course, Gene.”

“Will you let me know if anything else happens?”

Babe’s heart melted at the concern in the other man’s voice.

“Sure, Gene.  I’ll let you know.”

“Alright.”  Gene cleared his throat.  “Well, it must be late there, Edward.  You should probably get some sleep now.  You’ve had a long day.”

“Yeah,” Babe agreed.  “Night, Gene.”

“Night, Edward.”

**Author's Note:**

> As always, comments are love and they feed my soul. Please let me know what you think! Also, feel free to come say hi on tumblr. I'm @realhunterswearplaid.


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